| EPA proposes
standardizing rules for ethanol production plants March 2 Federal environmental regulators have proposed changing regulations for some ethanol production plants to make the standards consistent and encourage increased production of ethanol for fuel. The change would allow some ethanol facilities to release additional pollutants before triggering tougher restrictions under the Prevention of Significant Deterioration permitting program that could hamper new construction or modification of existing facilities. The Environmental Protection Agency proposed March 1 applying the same air permitting requirements to all ethanol production plants. Ethanol is an alcohol produced from corn that can be used for fuel or for human consumption. The processes are similar, but under existing regulations, facilities producing ethanol for fuel have a lower threshold for triggering the PSD permitting program. Currently, corn milling facilities that produce fuel are not subject to the permitting program until they meet or exceed 100 tons per year of air pollutants. However, milling facilities that produce corn-derived alcohol for consumption donīt trigger the PSD program until they reach a 250 tons per year threshold for pollutants. The new standard would be 250 tons per year for all facilities. The EPA will accept comment on the proposal for 60 days after it appears in the Federal Register. Details about the PSD program and this proposal are available online at www.epa.gov/nsr/actions.html .
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